Government agencies and public institutions face environmental compliance obligations that are both broad and deeply scrutinized. Federal facilities operate under the same environmental statutes as private industry — RCRA, CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act — but with additional requirements under Executive Orders on federal sustainability and federal facility compliance agreements.
National laboratories and defense installations manage radioactive materials, hazardous chemicals, and contaminated groundwater plumes with multi-decade remediation timelines. Ports and transit authorities hold NPDES MS4 permits, manage underground storage tanks, and are increasingly responsible for fleet electrification and GHG reduction commitments. State and local governments must meet SDWA drinking water standards, manage PFAS contamination from AFFF use at airports and fire training facilities, and produce public-facing environmental performance reports.
